Village of Lahij

A favorite weekend getaway in Azerbaijan is the village of Lahij.  With its proximity to copper mines and community of skilled craftsmen, Lahij has been a center for copper and metal work since the 1700s.  On our visit, we toured an abandoned blacksmith shop that still contained a forge, bellows, and other tools of the trade.

Erica pumps the blacksmith bellows

We also entered operating workshops still making jugs, cups, and platters in the traditional fashion, and stood watch while craftsmen fine-tuned their creations.

Craftsman hammers a pot into shape

One shop featured a sizable display of antiques and a friendly merchant who provided a run-down of the names and functions of the various lamps, urns, and trays.

Display of traditional metalwork items

Outside of the metalwork shops, Lahij is popular because it is so picturesque.  Its narrow cobblestone streets are flanked by buildings with wooden shutter-like doors overhung by small balconies.  We discovered the hard way that it's not an easy village to drive through, but it's perfect for strolling!

Lahij's cobbled main street

But the best part of a trip to Lahij is the drive in and out.  The entrance road passes through a gorge with stark vertically-layered cliffs before opening up into a postcard-perfect image of idyllic mountain serenity!

Stark cliffs outside of Lahij...

...contrast moments later with green rolling hills

Hiking Accomplished

After recent failed attempts to get out and enjoy nature (see prior post for one example), I finally got in some hiking this weekend.  We decided to tackle Besh Barmaq (Five Finger) Mountain, a very visible and well-known landmark about an hour's drive from Baku.

The rocky pinnacle of Besh Barmaq

We got off to a rough start.  None of us had actually been to Besh Barmaq before, so we drove past the unmarked access road once, then twice, before stopping for directions and getting onto the right road.

Roadside mosque and stalls with Besh Barmaq in background

Despite the difficulties in finding the place, Besh Barmaq was actually set up to be accessible to hikers with a wide range of abilities.  Much of the route had built-in staircases to mitigate the steepness of the path.  Along the stairs we encountered many old ladies wanting money or selling herb bundles.

Old woman seen through a hole in the rock formations

We diverted from the main path a few times to scramble over boulders and check out interesting crevices.  Eventually reaching the top, we encountered a very cheerful woman who enthusiastically insisted on taking several photos with us.  We weren't quite sure if she was intrigued by seeing foreigners or just thought our hats were funny, but we obliged anyway.

Larry and Erica with our new Azeri friend

On the way back down, another woman insisted on giving us candies.  We felt like celebrities - first photos and then free gifts!  We basked in the attention and then let our egos come back down to earth as we descended the final steps to the base.

Our small band of hikers

Hiking Interrupted

Last weekend, we set off to go hiking in the countryside.  We plugged our destination into our GPS and hit the road.  We were driving along, watching mountain peaks getting closer, when we suddenly came to a barrier across the road.  A very nice man came out of his booth and said something unintelligible to us.  We mimed that we were trying to drive through and named our destination:  Xinaliq.  He made multiple gestures and said more things we couldn't decipher.  Finally we understood one word:  President.  With that, we realized this was an access road to (one of) the President's villas and there was no chance we were driving through.  The man continued to make animated gestures and then jumped into our car.  He motioned for us to turn around and rode with us a few minutes down the road before pointing to a side road we had blown right past.  We drove him back to his post and thanked him profusely.  First crisis averted.

A few more miles down the road, we drove through a spectacular canyon and then began to climb up one of the narrow, winding mountain passes that dot the Azerbaijani countryside.  While Jeremy managed the switchbacks, I got to enjoy the scenery.

Jeremy waves from our car

As we arrived in Xinaliq, I realized I had to go to the bathroom.  Now, Azerbaijan is not necessarily the type of place that has a toilet at every gas station.  Plus Xinaliq was little more than a gathering of houses along the road and didn't have a gas station anyway!  We strolled through the village and some helpful people pointed out a toilet.  At first I wondered if this was a trick to see if the foreigner would fall for the bait, because this toilet was literally perched on the edge of a cliff!  But when ya gotta go, ya gotta go!  I did my business, and the locals weren't gathered outside laughing when I emerged. Second crisis averted.

A toilet with a view

Now we were ready for our hike.  We noticed a structure in the distance that looked like the entrance to a hiking trail.  Once we got closer, we could read the sign:  Shahdag National Park.  But then some unfriendly men came out of their booth, stopped us, and asked for our documents.  Puzzled, we said we didn't have any documents.  The look on their faces clearly conveyed, "No documents, no entry."  Having no idea what documents were needed for a simple hike, we shrugged our shoulders and returned to our car.  Third crisis not averted.  We didn't get to hike, but instead got a nice drive through the mountains, and a good story to tell!

Beautiful mountain scenery outside Xinaliq

Dalga Beach

One of the best parts about living in Baku is that Caspian Sea beaches are within a half hour drive.  We went to the beach throughout the summer, testing out different spots.  Our favorite by far was Dalga Beach.  It had fabulous canopy chairs on the sand by a peaceful lagoon.  An added bonus was that Azerbaijanis are not morning people, so until at least noon, we had the beach practically all to ourselves!

Lounging in cool canopy chairs designed for two

Dalga Beach also had Jeremy's favorite new activity:  a surfing simulator.  It shot water up a slope as he tried to balance and ride the board across the currents.  Jeremy did pretty well when he stayed on his knees.  Then he had some fabulous wipeouts when he tried standing up!

Jeremy surfing it up!

But the best part about Dalga Beach was that it had water slides!  Before this summer, I can't remember the last time I rode water slides.  I think it was at Wild Water Kingdom in Allentown, PA during high school!  I'll admit that Dalga's water slides are not in the same category as Wild Water Kingdom, but who cares?!  Water slides are always awesome!

Jeremy & two friends race down the slides

Although these slides may look pretty tame, they were actually quite fast.  Most of us caught air on a few of them.  And the one below shot you straight up the orange ramp, giving you a moment of weightlessness before you plunged back down and slid into the pool.  

Jeremy finishes a slide down Big Orange 

Sadly, I think the summer weather is over and we won't see Dalga Beach again for many months.  But rest assured, we'll be back!

Front Row View to a Soccer Match

Last week we went to a soccer game.  It was on my list of things to do in Baku, so when we heard the Celtic Football Club from Scotland was coming to Baku as part of the Champions League, we jumped at the chance to go.

Jeremy at the stadium entrance

We did not buy tickets in advance.  I had assumed there would be plenty of seats available, but it turned out to be a packed crowd.  Luckily, our friends arrived early and bought tickets for our group before they sold out.  We looked at the tickets and thought "Score!  We're in the first row."  What we didn't realize until we sat down was the first row was at field level, and unless the ball was kicked into the air, we couldn't actually see it at all!

Tight security monitored the sold-out crowd

There was another interesting aspect to our seats.  Azerbaijan is very security conscious.  Hopefully you can see in the photo above the line of neon green along the bottom of the stadium seats.  Those were security guards forming a ring to prevent anyone from coming onto the field.  There was one guard perhaps every 10 feet, so as we were straining to follow the action on the field while not being able to see the ball, we had security guards staring right back at us!  Plus, a guard was standing directly in my line of sight to one of the goals, so I also had to look around him whenever the ball was at that end of the field.  

Field view, obstructed by security guard and field barriers

Despite these setbacks, we had a fun time.  I'm not sure I've ever heard such a loud, enthusiastic crowd at a sporting event.  The crowd roared every time the Azerbaijani team seemed within reach of scoring.  But sadly that never happened. The game ended with a score that makes non-soccer fans shake their heads:  0-0.

Bicycling for the Environment in Baku

This weekend, Jeremy and I took our bicycles out for the first time in Baku to participate in a bike event to raise awareness about environmental and eco-friendly issues.  

Erica on the Baku Boulevard along the Caspian Sea

The embassy partnered with a local NGO, Nature Friends Youth Organization, to organize a fun ride through the city. Nature Friends is comprised primarily of Azerbaijani students who advocate for environmental preservation and eco-friendly transportation options.  While most Americans have become used to "going green" campaigns in the United States, environmental advocacy is still in its infancy in Azerbaijan, thus the embassy's interest in participating and drawing attention to this activity.

Safety First!

The event was very well organized, with opening speeches, press, a bicycle-safety briefing, and police escort.  The police escort was key on Baku's hectic roads where bicyclists are an endangered species - officers stopped traffic at every intersection for us!

Our group of American and Azerbaijani cyclists

Although a bike ride doesn't make international headlines like concluding negotiations with Iran, it's actually much more representative of the daily activities of a diplomat - making connections within the community, organizing events, and encouraging dialogue on a wide range of issues.

European Games Sporting Events

After the fabulous opening ceremony of the European Games, our attention turned to the sporting events.  I was very excited to see multiple sports - those both familiar and new to me - live on an international stage.  

Gymnastics has always been one of my favorite Summer Olympic sports.  Therefore it was a must-see for me.  I got my fill with a whole afternoon of both the men's and women's events. 

Women's Gymnastics Beam Finalist

I was also really looking forward to Track & Field, especially the women's hurdles, an event I ran myself in high school.

Qualifying heat of the Women's 100 Meter Hurdles

But, it turned out, I was more fascinated by the events I had rarely or never seen before.  One of them was Acrobatic Gymnastics.  I had never even heard of it before; it is not an Olympic event.  A very simple description is that it's a bit like cheerleading combined with circus acrobatics.  The competition I saw was a team event of three women who tumbled, climbed, flew, and cartwheeled across the mat performing exciting routines of strength, balance, and agility.  

Acrobatic Gymnasts create a human tower

Probably the most memorable event for me was Table Tennis.  I know, I know, seriously?!  Even I was skeptical, particularly when I realized I had a ticket for a five-hour session.  But, it was actually really fun to watch.  Especially because each player had a different serving style and clearly displayed his personality - often loudly and passionately - during play and especially when he scored a point.  

Bulgaria Table Tennis player serves to Italy

Jeremy's favorite event was Beach Soccer, another non-Olympic event.  It is played 5-on-5.  Because of the undulating surface of the sand, the game is played more in the air than on the ground, with lots of fancy air-kicks and headers.

Beach Soccer in action

Throughout it all, Azerbaijan - the Land of Fire - added its own flair to the events with fire machines that breathed flames into the air at key competition junctures.  Although there was some hiccups, Azerbaijan can congratulate itself on a Games well done and we were incredibly lucky to be a witness to it.

Flames add excitement to introduction of Beach Soccer teams